NOT ALL OF US ARE NATURAL BORN, EARLY RISERS AND WE WAKE, DOZY AND GROGGY EYED, WITH LITTLE MOTIVATION TO CONQUER THE DAY UNLESS WE’VE RESTED OUR EYES FOR TEN MORE MINUTES.

Ahh the elusive morning person. Productive, slick, efficient, forever ridden with enviable energy and extremely talented at completing the days to-do list in a record breaking time. Myth, legend, or just a combination of good sleep and some swear-by rituals? There’s no better feeling for me, personally, than using my mornings to my advantage and setting up for a successful, happy and gratifying day. A good morning leaves you with the insatiable feeling that nothing is impossible with good sleep, a decent cup of coffee and a moment to yourself.

Not all of us, however, are natural born, early risers. We wake, groggy eyed, dozy and with little motivation to conquer the day until we’ve ‘rested our eyes’ for ten more minutes. Recently, my sleep has been totally and utterly re-transformed with the help of a new Mattress from Leesa (something we’re all, undoubtedly guilty of putting off getting!) So I’m sharing a few of the things that help me absolutely nail mornings. Cue everyone being immediately envious of your new, found, morning person status.

RITUALS AND ROUTINES

I never thought I’d be a fully-fledged, creature of habit, but without a little routine in the mornings, I find I lack drive and direction. I wrote about the importance of routines in my post all about getting a good nights, sleep, here, and I think this applies whether it’s bedtime or rise and shine! I set my light alarm clock to gently wake me before I actually want to get up, as waking up to natural light (or something that mimics it) is a great way to get yourself going without it feeling forced or making you feel even more tired! I check social media in bed whilst enjoying a coffee (sacred moment!), relish in a cosy minute and the mornings news. I also love to light an incense stick or candle and set a relaxing, clear ambiance to focus me. This is my half an hour or 20 minutes to myself and I always make sure I get up early enough to fit this in – then I don’t feel stressed, rushed and all over the place. Also make an effort not to rush your breakfast, sit down and enjoy it and set goals for the day. Think of things to look forward to, what you’re grateful for that day (this could be the weather, something fun happening, seeing someone or a meal you love!) Getting your mind in a happy lil’ space is pivotal for me to feel good for the rest of the day. If I start my day badly, rushed and stressed I find this has a direct effect on my mood for the whole day, so make a conscious effort to start it right. Get this right and you’ll be in the right space to focus and consequently shake off anything challenging that does come your way, and breeze straight through it. Have time to yourself, MAKE time for yourself and relish in it and get yourself excited and hyped for the day!

START WITH A CLEAR MIND (AND CLEAR ROOM!)

Having a little tidy up before I sleep is a sure fire way to get me to know the next day is going to be killer, even before it’s begun! Particularly if you work from home, making sure your work space is a decluttered and a stress free place is so important when it comes to being motivated and productive in the mornings! Otherwise, you’ll constantly be distracted the the mess and less focused on other tasks! Alternatively, if you find you work more efficiently after having a tidy, do this and what works for you! This is a very Monica Bing-esque confession, but before I start work on Monday, I love to polish, hoover and tidy (there, I said it.) Everyone has their own quirks, routines and ways of going about tasks, ultimately you just need to figure out how you best function!

In terms of a declutter for the mind – lists, lists and more lists! (Ironically, I have so many lists, even they probably need a declutter!) Set tasks for the day – house tasks, shopping lists, things you’ve been procrastinating, important tasks, prioritise in order and smugly cross off things as you go. I find weekly and daily lists help me function and are a great way of organising myself! Stop putting things off, seize the moment and feel damn, well, satisfied after you’ve done everything you said you would for months! Nothing quite makes you feel on top of life (and your morning!) like this.

INVEST IN YOUR SLEEP

After all; prevention, not the cure, and all that. If you start with a good nights sleep, then your morning is instantly going to flow better and you’ll be a happy, little, energised bundle, as opposed to trying to correct a bad nights sleep. I always put down aching muscles, restless nights and groggy mornings down to something I couldn’t help. Fast forward a spanking new mattress and some squishy pillows later and I can’t even explain the incredible impact it’s had on my sleep! When Leesa wanted me to share my thoughts, naturally I jumped at the chance in attempts to make my bed as slumber, lust-worthy as hotels I’ve stayed in! I Trialled it for 30 days before typing out this post and I can safely say it’s something I’ll continually be investing in for the foreseeable future. (Plus I’ve nabbed £100 off for you guys with the code ‘STYLE PETAL’ where you can have a 100 night, risk free trial to really make sure it’s the one for you! Made entirely in the UK, it’s top layer is made from Avena foam, which allows airflow trough the mattress for a cooler nights sleep, as well as bounce for freedom of movement (no one wants a hot, stuffy bed!)

It’s also easy to get into your home, as it comes rolled into a box, which you then roll out and allow it to take it’s true shape – so perfect for flats and small spaces too! It ONLY took me about 3 nights to adjust to my new mattress, and I’ve had a more noticeably sounder, less disturbed sleep since (it’s a thumbs up from the boyf too!). The combination of three foam layers, also adapts to your body, providing optimum support and comfort, something which my old mattress was seriously lacking! You spend so much time in your bed, it’s where you relax, heal and regenerate, so it’s silly to neglect this, but something so many of us do! I’m particularly passionate about Leesa because they’re all about being environmentally conscious, which is something we all need to be increasingly looking towards. Any returned mattresses within the 100 day period are donated to a local charity and for every 10 sold, they donate one! As well as this, their One Earth programmes means that a tree is planted for every mattress sold. So if you’re looking to invest more into your sleep, I can’t see a more worthy company to do so!

MOVE YOUR BEAUTIFUL SELF!

This one is particularly good if you’re feeling extra snoozy. Drag yourself out of bed and stretch, like reaaaaly stretch! Touch your toes, move around the house, jump up and down and stretch your back. This will make your body instantly wake up and erase any desire to head back under the duvet. (Although the Leesa Mattress is so comfy, it’s kind of difficult to resist at first!) I also find sticking to the holy grail rule of ‘water first’ definitely is super beneficial, but easily forgotten! Drink a big glass of cold, fresh water when you first wake up – this is also an awesome way to naturally wake you up (then coffee after, obvs 😉 ) Besides a little stretch and plenty of water, be sure to just generally get yourself moving – a 15 minute fast run, a brisk walk, some Yoga on Youtube. Moving and exercising not only has the obvious benefits, but you’ll go to bed happier, proud and naturally will be more ready for some good rest, because you would have used your body well! The obvious, same old tips are repeated for a reason; because they work! Drink your water, move your beautiful body and then enjoy a peaceful slumber in your new mattress, ready to smash the next day ahead!

SHOP THE OUTFIT

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Would absolutely love to know how you guys get yourself really productive and motivated in the mornings! Has your sleep dramatically changed with a mattress upgrade? As always, I LOVE to hear your personal stories and thoughts, be sure to comment below or pop me a message over on Instagram!

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As mentioned above, this was a proudly sponsored collaboration with Leesa. All thoughts, opinions and views are my own. The mattress was gifted for review and I trialled it for a month before coming to a conclusion. Some links are also affiliate.

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11 Comments

These are great tips for becoming a more person. Setting aside time for rest and sleep is really important. So, going to bed early or even taking a nap in the afternoon can help. Tidying up a bit before going to sleep is a great tip.

Love this article! Just this year I changed up my routine to wake up earlier and use my morning hours to start the day on the right track! I completely agree that it can help set you up for success (especially cleaning the night before; a clean house for me makes mornings that much easier) 🙂